If you have been out walking in the Woodlands Country Park over the winter months you may have noticed how still and peaceful it can be with the low winter sun casting shadows and the sunlight cutting through the bare trees and bouncing off the grasslands, but if you looked closely, you may have seen signs of the seasons to come.
Hibernating bugs and insects will have been hidden away under log piles and leaf litter or inside the hollow stems of dead plants ready to emerge in the warmer months. Or you may have heard the yaffle of the Green Woodpecker during the day and seen the sparks of colour provided by the bright red Hawthorn berries, which provide an essential food source for birds.
Credit: John Palmer
Although, most of our native deciduous trees, like the Alder and Ash, lost their leaves during winter, Oak trees often hang on to theirs a little longer turning a striking golden brown. And winter also gave us a chance to admire other characteristics about our trees that we often miss, like the papery white bark of the Silver Birch.
These winter months, November through to March, are also tree planting season, it is the best time to plant trees as it allows the roots to establish and grow through the milder winter days.
Credit: John Palmer
Trees are essential for people, wildlife and the environment. Planting a new tree and hedge – of the right kind in the right place – is something we can all do to grow a greener future. And this is exactly what has been keeping the Friends of Woodlands and Coachwood Green busy.
On the 3rd and 4th February, we held a hedge planting event where volunteers (pictured below) from across the community including the 4th Worksop (St John’s) Scout Group came together to finish planting a native hedgerow of hawthorn and blackthorn along the boundary of the Wildlife Discovery Area. This will provide nesting sites and food for birds, insects and small mammals, whilst also acting as wildlife corridors, connecting habitats across the Woodlands Country Park.
And coming up at the end of March we will planting over 100 saplings of Rowan, Silver birch, Wild Cherry, Sessile Oak and Grey Willow received from The Woodland Trust as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy Initiative. If you would like to get involved and plant a tree as an individual, a school or a community group, please contact us to find out how you can be part of this.
We have also been chosen as a site for the Trees for Climate; a national woodland creation programme, this is in the early stages but it is an exciting opportunity for our local community to be recognised as part of this national government scheme, if you follow us on Facebook you can keep up to date about this @friendsofwoodlandsandcoachwoodgreen.
Next on our list of activities is to seek funding to plant 8 specimen native trees on the Wildlife Discovery Area along with providing information boards showing summer and winter images of the tree, it’s leaf and fruit, any medical, mystical, or historical details, uses for its timber, statistics, height, girth, and benefits for wildlife.
So why all this interest in Trees? they have multiple benefits from Climate, health and well-being to biodiversity. Trees and woodlands ecosystems provide clean air, store carbon, and protect from flooding whilst providing habitats to support biodiversity and getting close to nature is good for our mental and physical well-being. And therefore, we love trees.
As we move into Spring the bird nesting season will be upon us, with the woodpiles amongst the trees providing nesting sites for Blackbirds and Finches and the open grassland will attract Skylarks.
All this could not be possible without our volunteers who play a huge role in helping us look after the Country Park and the Wildlife Discovery Area. If you would like to get involved, please feel free to get in touch with any feedback or suggestions. Email: Infowoodlandsandandcoachwoodgreen@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook @friendsofwoodlandsandcoachwoodgreen